I would go with the second option. Newer graphics and processor, which if not a little faster, may contain some power savings over the predecessor. I think the 8GB upgrade option (or higher) is there for the G4-2012 model. HP is making it difficult to tell, but it seems backwards to not include this option.

Agreed with B. Second option is slightly better. Newer gear even by a little bit might solve some poor compatibility issues that some games or software have. The newer the game, the worse the compatibility it seems.